Plumbing system purger



Filed March 24, 1958 INVENTOR. CHARLES M. GASSER PLUMBING SYSTEM PURGER.

Charles M. Gasser, Dover, Ohio, assi'g'nor to Knapp- Monarch Company, St. Louis 16, Ma, a Delaware corporation Filed Mar. 24, 1958, set. No. 723,399 3 Claims. (Cl. 4-255) This invention relates to a device for clearing clogged drains and the like, and more particularly relates to a device which utilizes a flow of gas under pressure to effect clearing of the clogged drain.

The use of plungers and the like to build up pressure for clearing clogged drains is notoriously old. Other drain-flushing devices have been proposed using air pumps for building up an accumulation of air under pressure which may be selectively released to provide a sudden flow of gas serving to produce a drain-clearing pressure. The latter devices, while an improvement over the more simple plungers, are considerably; more complicated'to operate and are relatively expensive. I

One object of this invention is to provide a flushing device for clearing clogged drains, which device utilizes a flow of compressed gas, from a throw-away type compressed gas cartridge, to effect a drain-clearing pressure.

Another object of this invention is to provide a compressed-gas type drain-clearing device which is very simple to operate and which is characterized by its reliability in operation and inexpensiveness of construction.

A further object of this invention is to provide a compressed-gas type drainclearing device which may also be used, alternatively, as an ordinary plunger-type drain clearing means.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming part of this specification.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a broken elevation view showing a device embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-section view taken substantially on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a greatly enlarged cross-section view illustrating the details of the compressed gas cartridge means and easing therefor, and shows the piercing pin in its re tracted position;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure 3 showing the piercing pin in its projected, piercing posi* tion; and

Figure 5 is a cross-section view taken substantially on line 55 of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in Figure 1, a flushing device generally indicated at 10, which includes a tubular body 12 closed at its upper end at 14 and open at its lower end at 16, as best seen in Figure 2. Handle means 18 are detachably connected to the closed end of said body, by providing a tubular portion 19 which is connected by screw-thread means'20 to the upper end 2,93,154 Patented June 7, 1960 .2 of the passageway defined through the tubular body 12. The length of tubular body 12 may be any desired amount, although in the preferred form the length is about three feet, as it hasbeen found that such length provides for ease in manipulation in accomplishing the job which the device is intended to perform.

Thereis mounted on the tubular body 12, relatively adjacent the upper handle end thereof, a tubular stud 24 which is screw-threaded through the wall of body 12, so that the central bore 26 of tubular stud 24 communicates with the interior of tubular body 12. The stud 24 carries an abutment in the form of an annular flange 28 located outwardly adjacent the tubular body 12, and a gasket means 30 is clamped between flange 28 and tubular body 12 to seal the point of connection of the stud 24 to the tubular body.

:The tubular stud 24 is transversely bored at 32, said transverse bore 32 communicating with the central bore 26 of the stud. At a point diametric of the transverse bore 32, the outer periphery of tubular stud 24 is provided with a non-circular contour 34. In the specific embodiment shown the outer periphery of stud 24 is provided with a flat 34 of substantial width, so that the tubular stud may be considered as having a non-circular outer periphery.

Mounted on said tubular stud 24 are means includinga -compressed gas cartridge and discharge means therefor, which provides for selectively discharging the contents of the compressed gas cartridge suddenly through the open end 16 of the tubular body 12 to provide a pressurized flow of gas for flushing a clogged drain pipe. The apparatus for mounting the gas cartridge'and for effecting the sudden discharge of compressed gas through the tubular body 12 includes a segmented hollow casing means, generally indicated at 36.. The casing means 36 includes an open-ended main body portion 38, provided with. male threads 40, a cap portion 42 for closing said open end of the casing portion 38, and a nut type member 44 adapted for threaded connection to male threads 40 and having an inwardly extending flange 46 for clamping the outwardly extending flange 42a of cap 42 against the terminal edge of casing 38'. Appropriate gasket means 48 may be provided between cap 42 and casing member 38 to eflect a seal at the joint therebetween. The separable casing means 36 provides for easily inserting a fresh gas cartridge therein after one has been exhausted as hereinafter described.

When assembled as shown, the casing 38 and cap 42 define an elongated hollow casing which is adapted to receive therein a compressed CO gas cartridge shown in dot-dash lines at 50. The upper casing portion 38 also carries thereon a piercing mechanism which is adapted to be selectively activated to eifect piercing of the normally sealed gas cartridge 50. As shown, the casing 38 defines a pin guiding bore 52 at the upper end of the cartridge receiving chamber, and an annular boss 54 extending axially outwardly of bore 52 and arranged for having headed piercing pin 56 carried therein. The piercing pin 56 is normally biased to a retracted position by means of a coil spring 58, one end of which engages the underside of the pin 56, and the other end of which engages the walls defining the pin guiding bore 52. The uppermost end of casing 38 is bifurcated, and carries a pivot pin 60 upon which is pivotally mounted a bellcrank type actuating lever 62. One arm of bell crank 62 is connected to a pull cord 64, and the other arm of bell crank 62 is so mounted on pivot pin 60 that -the bell cranks extended end 62a serves as a cam means for depressing the piercing pin 56, as the bell crank 62 is pivoted from the position shown in Figure 3 to the position shown in Figure 4.

The spring 58 normally biases the headed piercing pin 56 against one edge of the bell crank 62 as shown in Figure 3. When pulling on the pull cord 64, the tendency is for the bell crank to move to the position shown in Figure 4 wherein the cam edge 62a depresses the piercing pin sufficiently so that the sharpened end' of the piercing pin opens the sealed gasj cartridge 50 to permit rapid discharge ofthe contents of gas car tridge 50. I

The casing means also carries thereon a mounting. ring 66 which is preferably formed integral with main body portion 38, and which is shaped to define a noncircular inner periphery arranged for complementary co= operation with the non-circular periphery of the tubular stud 24, so that the mounting ring 66 may beiremovably positioned on tubular stud 24 at a single predetermined attitude. A gas passageway 68 is provided communicating the chamber enclosed by the hollow. casing means 36, within which chamber the gas cartridge 50 is positioned, through the wall of easing portion 38 and through mounting ring 66, and in communication with the transverse bore 32 in the tubular stud 24.. Thus, when the compressed gas is released from the cartridge 50, the compressed gas willflow through passageways 68, 32 and 26 into the tubular body 12 and will discharge relatively suddenly through the open end 16 of the tubular body 12 to provide the discharged pressurized flow of gas for flushing a clogged drain pipe.

The outermost end of tubular stud 24 is threaded at 70 to receive a closure cap 72 thereon. The. closure cap ope-rates not only to close off the open end of bore 26 in stud 24, but also to clamp the mounting-ring 66 between itself and the annular'fiange 28 on the tubular stud. Appropriate sealing means 74 are provided between cap 72 and mounting ring 66, and appropriate sealing means 76 are provided between mounting ring 66 and annular fiange- 28 of the tubular stud 24.

It will be seen thatv not only may the device herein tively opening a sealed gas cartridge to provide. means for selectively discharging the contents of said compressed gas cartridge, in the said chamber of said discharge means, relatively suddenly through the open end of said tubular body to provide a pressurized flow of gas for flushing a clogged drain pipe, and gas-confining-andcommunicating means including said enclosed cartridge chamber communicating with said tubular stud and from said tubular stud to said tubular body for confining the gas released from said compressed gas cartridge and for directing the released gas through the open end of said tubular body. 7 1

2. A device for clearing clogged drain pipes comprising, in combination, an elongated tubular body closed at one end and open at the other end, a handle connected to the closed end of said body, a flexible cup member sealing carried on said tubular body adjacent the open end thereof, a'tubular stud carried on said tubular body adjacent the handle end thereof and communicating therethrough with the interior of said tubular body, said tubular stud being transversely bored and having a non-circular outer periphery, hollow casing means defining an enclosed compressed-gas cartridge chamber and gas passageway means communicating with said chamber and adapted for communication with the transverse bore in said tubular stud, said casing carrying .a mounting ring of non-circular innerperiphery arranged for removable mounting on said 'tubul'anstud at alpredetermined, attitude, said casing. means carrying a piercing pin arrangedv for entrance into said car-tridgechamber to open a. compressed. gas, cartridgetherein, and'manually operable cam. means for selectively be used to. provide a pressurized flow of gas to effect flushing of a clogged drain pipe, but the device herein may also be used as an ordinary manually operable plunger to effect the clearing of the drain pipe. I

The location of the mounting stud, and compressed gas cartridge and discharge means thereon, near the upper handle end of the device provides that an individual may easily hold the flushing device with one hand grasping handle 18 while permitting of ready manipulation of pull cord 64 with the other hand to effect the discharge of the compressed gas.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of this invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention and, therefore, it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for clearing clogged drain pipes comprising, in combination, an elongated tubular body closed at one end and open at the other end, a handle connected to the closed end of said body, a flexible cup member sealing carried on said tubular body adjacent the open end thereof, a tubular stud carried on said tubular body adjacent the handle end thereof and communicating thererethrough with the interior of said tubular body, a compressed gas cartridge and discharge means therefor removably mounted on said tubular stud, said discharge means including an enclosed compressed-gas-cartridge chamber for removably receiving a sealed gas cartridge therein and a manually actuatable piercing pin for selecactuating 'said piercing pin, so as: todischarg'e the contents of said; compressed gas cartridge relatively suddenly through. the open end of said tubular body to provide. a pressurized flow ofgas for-flushing a clogged drain pipe. 3. A device for clearing clogged drain pipes comprising, in combination, an elongated tubular body closed at one end; and open at the other end, a handle connected to the closed end of said body, a flexible cup member sealingv carried on saidtubular body adjacent the open end thereof, a,tu bular stud carried on said tubular body adjacent the handle end thereof and communicating there.- through; with the interior of said tubular body, said tubular stud: being transversely bored and having a non-circular outer periphery, hollow casing means defining an enclosed compressed-gas-cartrid'ge chamber and gas passage.- way means cnrnmunicating withsaid chamber and adapted for communication with the transverse bore in said tubular stud, said casing carrying a mounting ring of non circular; inner periphery arranged for removable mounting on said tubular stud at a predetermined attitude, said casing meansv carrying a piercing pin arranged for entrance into said cartridge chamber to open a compressed gasicartridge therein, manually operable cam means for selectively actuating said piercing pin, so as'to discharge the. contents of said compressed gas cartridge relatively suddenly through the open end of said tubular body to providea pressurized flowof gas for flushing a clogged drain-pipe, and cap means removably mounted on the outer end of said tubular stud for sealing said end of the studandengaging said mounting ring of the casing means, to sealingly clamp said mounting ring between said cap meansand' an abutmentcarried on said tubular stud.

References Cited in the file of this patent 2 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,059,785 Gail: Nov, 3', 193's 2,300,319 SI I'llihf Oct. 27, 1942 2,626,404, Marks Jan. 27, 195s 

